Hold me for tonight
by LiquifiedStars
Summary: When Ladybug and Chat Noir become cornered by an Akuma, their identities become revealed not only to each other, but Hawkmoth. With the help of Alix, Marinette will have to come up with a plan to set the future right again, by correcting the past, but can she leave her love for Adrien behind.


-Ladybug didn't know where it had all gone wrong. One moment she and Chat Noir were fighting an akumatized villain, a student of mythology that had embodied the appearance of a Harpy, the next they had their backs to the wall, literally. Having used both his cataclysm and her Lucky Charm to no avail they were rapidly running out of options. They had underestimated the strength of this opponent. With the ominous sound of their Miraculous beeping, the akuma had them cornered, the great span of its wings keeping them trapped, their weapons agonisingly close but just out of reach.

From the corner of her eye, Ladybug spied Alix. Their classmate had unwittingly become entangled in this whole mess, and was now taking cover behind a desk in their upside down library. Most of the students had escaped ages ago, but Alix had stayed to try and help as the akuma victim was a friend of her brothers. Alix gestured that she could get their staff and yo-yo, but Ladybug shook her head. The Harpy had not seen Alix and any movement would attract it's attention.

As the beeps on their Miraculous continued to warn time was running out, Chat took Ladybug by the hand, lacing his fingers in hers and holding tight. The purple butterfly lit up the face of the akuma, Hawkmoth knowing it was only a matter of time and they would be totally at his mercy.

"M'lady, no matter what happens, I won't leave your side, I promise." Chat said, turning her to face him. He could see the glint of tears forming in her eyes.

"I know you won't Chat." She grabbed onto him in a tight embrace as the final beeps sounded. The two were engulfed in glows of pink and green as their transformations melted away. They knew Hawkmoth would now have seen them, but they still clung onto each other with eyes shut tight. Marinette heard a gasp from Alix. She looked towards her classmate whose mouth was hanging open and Marinette wondered why she was so surprised. Sure, not too many people would peg clumsy Marinette for Ladybug, but was it that big of a surprise?

All of a sudden, the Harpy de-transformed back into the student they were, and a once black butterfly fluttered into pure white before flying away. Marinette was puzzled. This was Hawkmoth's moment of victory, why would he suddenly take away the akuma?

"Marinette?" She heard a familiar voice say beside her. She turned her eyes towards her partner and would most likely have dropped to the floor had he not have been holding her.

"Adrien." She whispered. Oh this had to be some sort of dream. How could the boy she had crushed on for so long turn out to be the partner she had desperately tried not to fall in love with.

"Where am I?" The dazed akuma victim asked. Alix quickly rushed in.

"Hey Markus, there's been an akuma, you better get out of here." The student nodded at her before hastily making his escape. Alix then made her way over to Adrien and Marinette who were still holding each other's arms locked in a transfixed gaze.

"Seriously, out of all the people in Paris...how on earth did you two not realise who each other was?"

"The magic of the Miraculous helps them not to." Tikki piped in as she ate a macaroon from Marinette's purse.

"Yeah, fat lot of good that's going to do now that Hawkmoth knows who they are." Plagg added, throwing down his Camembert in one gulp.

"He's right." Marinette said, the grave reality of the situation coming down on her. She let go of Adrien and wrapped her arms around herself. "This is all my fault. I waited too long to use my Lucky Charm and missed the opportunity." Tears began to stream down her cheeks. "I'm the worst Ladybug ever."

"Don't say that." Adrien said, wrapping his arms around her as she cried into his chest. He kissed her on the forehead stroking her hair. "You'll figure something out, you always do m'lady." Marinette stopped crying at hearing the familiar nickname being said to her civilian form, spoken by Adrien. She realised that to Adrien, it had been an almost seamless transition from Ladybug to Marinette. Like he wanted it to be her. This was Adrien holding her close to him, as though she was the most precious thing in the world and it was Adrien's steady heartbeat that regulated her breathing.

"Guys, I hate to break this up, but you have got to get out of here and hide." Alix said with a tone of urgency in her voice. "Quick, come with me." Alix clambered over the upturned library furniture. No Lucky Charm now meant no Miraculous Ladybugs to fix everything. Adrien took Marinette by the hand and helped her out to the door. The sun was just beginning to set. The akuma attacked during an after school study session and it was now getting late.

The three took cover where they could, not knowing what Hawkmoth had in store for them now that he knew who they were.

"Where are we going?" Marinette asked as the museum loomed ahead.

"A place no one will think to look." Alix grinned. Entering through a staff back door, it was just on closing time when Alix led the two into a display room that was under construction. "They are preparing this room for a new exhibit, but the artifacts haven't arrived yet so the security system isn't on in here. No cameras, no sensors and no one coming in here. At least not until morning." She said with a smirk on her face. "I've got to go find my dad now so he knows I'm here, but I'll be back in five."

Adrien led Marinette over to where a bench was sitting against the wall. He still had hold of her hand and didn't appear to be letting go of it anytime soon. At first they sat in silence. It was not uncomfortable in any way, in fact it felt so natural Marinette was almost overwhelmed by it.

"So what's the plan m'lady?" Adrien eventually asked. Marinette shook her head, tears once again threatening to fall.

"I don't know." She whispered. "I...I feel so overwhelmed." She collapsed back into his embrace, not crying, but emotionally exhausted. Yes, this was Adrien, but he was also her partner, the person she trusted most in the world, and he was here beside like he always was.

Alix quickly came back into the room. "Alright, you two are all set for now. Here, I grabbed some leftovers from the cafeteria for you and some bottles of water." Adrien and Marinette gratefully took what Alix offered.

"I'm so sorry to have dragged you into this Alix." Marinette apologised, but Alix just laughed.

"Are you kidding? This is cool. My friends are superheroes and I'm helping them." Their conversation was interrupted by a news alert on Adrien's phone. With an arm around Marinette's shoulders, he took out his phone to see Nadja Chamack on the screen.

"Don't be bemused, it's just the news. We have just received a video from none other than the villain Hawkmoth demanding the surrender of Ladybug and Chat Noir. Here is the footage now."

A cutaway brought up the ominous image of Hawkmoth to the screen, his lips curled up in victory.

"People of Paris, I am Hawkmoth and I know who your heroes are. Ladybug and Chat Noir, you have until 6am to present yourselves below the Eiffel Tower in your civilian form, and hand me your Miraculous. If not, I will squeeze you where it hurts most, starting with Ladybugs parents. Your time is ticking."

Adrien tightened his grip on Marinette's shoulder. Marinette knew he would be willing to fight to the death with her, but they would never win in a showdown like this. There had to be another way.

"What are you going to do?" Alix asked. Adrien turned to look at Marinette who was deep in thought.

"Time." She murmured to herself. "We have time." Adrien furrowed his eyebrows at her. "Alix, can you come back here later, say around 10 o'clock?"

"Sure. My Dad and brother are leaving early in the morning for an Egyptology conference, so they will be going to bed early."

"Good. I need to go to my house and get something, I won't be long." Marinette opened a nearby window and was about to call her transformation when they heard Alix's dad calling her.

"I'll be back at ten. See you then." She said as she ran out. After Alix left, Adrien grabbed Marinette's hand.

"Where are you going? Hawkmoth will be looking for Ladybug." Marinette turned to him, her mind and her heart were working against each other, but she was fighting to keep clarity on the situation.

"I need to get the Rabbit Miraculous. Alix will need to go back and try to find out what went wrong so I can fix it."

"Then I'll go with you." But Marinette slowly shook her head.

"It would be more risky if we both went Chaton. I'll be quick I promise." Reluctantly, Adrien let go of her hand and watched as she transformed and made her way out the window into the darkness.

"So…" Plagg drawled. "Turned out pigtails was the love of your life after all." Adrien looked at his Kwami, a slight smile on his face.

"I should have known Plagg." He said with an air of regret as he shook his head. "Only one person could have made me feel the way she does."

Time felt like it dragged on forever until Ladybug finally returned. Adrien rushed over to her, grabbing her up as her transformation dropped.

"What took you so long?" He asked, stepping back to look at her face, but still holding her. "I was so worried."

"Your father was looking for you at the bakery. I could hear him asking my parents where you were. I think they suspect we are somewhere together, but I don't think they know anything else." Adrien softly kissed the back of her hand. Marinette could feel her heart beat wildly at the contact. It had been hard keeping her feelings in check when Chat did it, but now seeing Adrien do the same, she could feel her resolve start to crumble. She pulled her hand from his and walked a few steps from him.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly. "I guess you're disappointed I'm Chat Noir. You deserve someone better" Marinette clutched her hands to her chest at hearing him say that.

"No Adrien." She still had her back to him, trying to hide her tears. "I wouldn't have wanted anyone else to be my Chat Noir."

"It's the other boy isn't it? I guess you meant Luka." Marinette turned at looked at him, a single tear breaking away from her eyes and down her cheek. "It's okay, I understand." He said, resigning himself to the fact she was in love with someone else. Her eyes softened as she stepped back towards him, placing a hand on his face.

"Silly Kitty." She said gently. "You were the other boy I was in love with." Adrien's eyes widened.

"Me." He smiled. She nodded at him, but then the smile left her face, as though another thought had occurred to her.

"What? What is it?" He asked, stroking her cheek with his thumb. Marinette took his hand from her face, holding it in hers.

"We can't be together Chaton, not while Hawkmoth remains undefeated. He will use it against us." Adrien shook his head.

"I don't understand." He said. "I love you and you love me. Why does he have to stop us?" Marinette lowered her head. She never wanted to tell him about Chat Blanc or what happened that day but standing here now with him, looking at her with that adoring look in her eyes, she couldn't hold it in anymore.

Leading him over to the bench to sit, she told him what she knew about that day. She didn't know everything, but she knew that he loved her on both sides of the mask and that Hawkmoth found out about them. Plagg and Tikki sat huddled nearby, letting their chosen have this moment. Adrien sat quietly listening, making absentminded circles with his thumb on her hand as she spoke, her voice cracking remembering the emotion as she felt that day.

"I never wanted you to know about any of this." She said, a deep sigh escaping her. "I fought so hard not to fall in love with you as Chat, but I did. I couldn't help it and I hurt you by pushing you away, even though it was hurting my own heart."

"You know." He said to her, "I was falling in love with you Marinette, but I felt like I was betraying Ladybug, so I convinced myself that you didn't feel the same." He cupped her face with his hand, turning her face towards him. "Why are you telling me this now?" He searched her eyes before she closed them, leaning into his touch. She opened them and looked up at him.

"Because…" she began before she was cut off by Alix sneaking back into the room.

"I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" Alix asked, Marinette shaking her head and giving Alix her full attention.

"No, thank you for coming back." She said, Alix was practically beaming.

"As if I'm going to say no to Ladybug." She teased before looking more seriously at the blonde boy next to her. "Adrien, your old man is going to everyone's houses looking for you. He's being really relentless."

Adrien sighed. He felt bad leaving his father in the dark, but what else could they do.

"What did you say?" He asked her with some reservation.

"Only that the last I saw of you was studying with Marinette, Alya and Nino in the library. He seemed to have accepted that and left. What? You didn't seriously think I would snitch on you?" Marinette smiled and shook her head.

"I never doubted you." She said, giving Alix a hug.

"Alright I'm ready, what's the plan?" She asked excitedly. Marinette opened her bag and pulled out the familiar pocket watch. Alix's face lit up. Ever since the encounter with Timetagger she had waited for the day she would receive her Miraculous, although she never would have imagined the circumstances.

"I need you to go back and find out what went wrong. I have to fix this so Hawkmoth doesn't discover our identities." Alix nodded in acknowledgement. "Come back here at 4 am." Alix took the watch and Fluff materialised. The quirky little rabbit Kwami looked around bemused before taking in Alix.

"Have we met before? I think we did, but was it in the future or the past?" Alix just laughed.

"Both I guess, come on we have a job to do. Fluff, Clockwise." The blue light engulfed Alix as she transformed into Bunnix. "So cool." She whispered. Marinette placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'll see you soon." She smiled with encouragement.

"I won't fail you...Ladybug. Burrow."

When the burrow closed Adrien stood close behind her. He was so close she could feel his warmth. Gently he turned her towards him.

"Marinette, you didn't answer me before." He said. "Why did you tell me all this about Chat Blanc if you didn't want me to know."

"Because by morning it won't matter." She said, "When I go back, all this will be erased. It will be as though this timeline never existed.

"You mean we won't remember what happened? Like with what happened with Oblivio?" There was a moment when both teens went a little red in the face. Oh that kiss Alya took a photo of! Of course it made so much more sense now.

"That's the hard part Chaton." She said, searching into his shining emerald eyes. "You won't remember, but I will." Adrien took a step back.

"How?" She swallowed hard, her heart felt like it was going to shatter into a million pieces. This was beyond cruel that he would not know any of this, but the look

in his eyes now would be burned into her memory forever.

"What's been seen, can't be unseen." She spoke softly, as though a sound would shatter the air around them. "Alix and I will know because we will have to pass through time, but you my Kitty," she said, tenderly touching his face. "This will never have happened for you." Adrien's eyes dropped as his heart sank. He had finally found his Lady, his love, and she was going to be taken away from him again.

"When then? When can we be together? You know it's been driving me crazy these last few months wanting you. Wanting to be with you Marinette." He leaned his forehead on hers, their laboured breaths mingling in the moonlight that streamed in through the window.

"I know Chaton. I feel the same...but I can't." She broke away from him, standing at the window. "I have to live with knowing how you feel and not being able to do anything about it." A sob broke away from her and almost instantly she felt his arms come from behind and circle around her.

"Don't m'lady." He said as he buried his face into her hair. "I can't bear to see you like this."

"Adrien, please." She begged. "I can't carry these memories with me of you, I think I'll break if I do."

"No, you won't." He whispered in her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. What cruel twist of fate handed her this? The love of her life begging for her affection, and she, trying to protect her heart by keeping him away. It was a losing battle that she couldn't keep fighting.

"Marinette." He said, resting his chin on her head. "I want you to know how much I love you. When you go back, know that my heart is torn between the two sides of you, no one else. No matter what anyone might think or say. It's only you." Marinette closed her eyes and learned back into him. As hard as it was going to be, it was a comfort for her to know that. She resolved to be closer to him. Knowing that Adrien was Chat would make it easier to talk to him. She could let him get closer, without jeopardising them to Hawkmoth. She could be more tolerant of Chat with his puns and flirting, knowing he loves both sides of her without knowing it.

"Hold me for tonight?" She asked. He tightened his embrace around her.

"I'll hold on to you forever." He whispered. "Promise me, when the time comes, you'll tell me about this. I want to know that we had tonight, even if I don't remember it." She nodded against him.

"I will, Adrien. I'll tell you everything." She vowed.

Finding their way back to the bench, Adrien held her on his lap close to his chest. She dozed a little, comforted by the steady beating of his heart. She wanted to memorise the sound, to remember every detail of this night. Yes, it would be hard to face him again, but she wanted this, she needed it, to feel his love for her.

All too soon a bright light engulfed the room and Bunnix appeared out of her burrow. Marinette and Adrien both stood up and approached her, a smile on her face. "I've figured it out. There's a good chance we can stop the akuma from even happening at all, otherwise, plan B I know where the akuma is to defeat the Harpy." Marinette nodded.

"Okay then, Tikki Spots On."

"Claws Out." Ladybug whirled around as Adrien turned into Chat. "I'm coming with you."

"Chat no, you can't." Chat stepped forward grabbing her arms in his hands.

"I can't stay here. I can't lose this. Please m'lady I can't lose you." Ladybug looked up into his chartreuse eyes, she could see the panic rise in him that she would forget about him, that something would happen and they would never get this moment back again.

"I'll give you two a moment." Alix said stepping back. "Come into my burrow when you're ready." She disappeared into the light, leaving Chat Noir holding Ladybug to him.

"Chat, I promise you, we will be together again. We just have to wait for the right time." She could feel his breath shaking and what must have been a tear fall on top of her head.

"Alright Bug, I trust you." He said finally. Cupping her face in one hand, he held her close with the other. "May I?" He asked, resting his forehead on hers, his lips just a whispered breath away.

"But you won't remember mon Chaton." She murmured, hardly even trying to hold back any more.

"No, I won't." He whispered against her cheek. "But you will." All resolve abandoned, her lips found his in sweet union. The world melted away for one suspended moment as their kiss dissolved into another and yet another. Her hands in his soft hair, his holding her ever closer still. It was all that she imagined, yet so much more.

Regretfully parting to catch their breath, the sudden rush of cool air between them brought her back down from the clouds. She still had a job to do.

"I have to go." She said, lowering her head, her heart sinking at the words. Chat hooked a finger under her chin gently bringing her head up to face him.

"Don't forget me my love." He said in all seriousness. "Don't go off with someone else. Promise me you'll be mine again. Promise me you won't forget." She looked up into eyes, so full of love for her. How could he think she would ever leave him?

"I promise." She said, pressing one last soft kiss to his lips before calling her lucky charm. A map of the library fell into her hands, and a series of numbers. Catalogue numbers by the looks of it. Giving Chat one longing last look, she dived into Bunnix's burrow.

Bunnix told her that the Librarian has accused Markus of losing a rare book on Mythology. Following the numbers on the map, they found the misplaced book, returning it to the Librarian before she had a chance to make the accusation. The akuma was successfully diverted. Throwing her Miraculous Ladybug, the magic swept into Bunnix's burrow, resetting the future back to the correct timeline. The two girls then snuck their way to the bathroom to de-transform.

"Thanks for trusting me with your secret Marinette." Alix said as she went to pass the Miraculous back, but Marinette closed Alix's hands around it.

"It's yours Alix. You hang onto it." Alix was lost for words as Marinette smiled and nodded to her. The bluenette turned to go find her friends when Alix called her back.

"You know, I got a sneak peak of the future while I was in there." Marinette gave a low chuckle.

"Now I would think you would know it's not good to go poking around in the future." Alix grinned in agreement.

"Yeah but, I think it was okay in this case." Marinette couldn't help it, her curiosity had been piqued.

"Why?" She asked. Alix gave her a knowing grin.

"Well, you and Adrien...let's just say it's closer than you think." Marinette felt a blush crash over her face.

"You can't say anything you know." She cautioned, but it wasn't necessary as Alix broke out into a chuckle.

"You know me Marinette. I know how to keep a secret." She winked as she pushed open the bathroom door and left.

Marinette rushed into the library to find Adrien, Nino and Alya already waiting to start their study session.

"Girl, where have you been? You should have been here like 10 minutes ago." Marinette just blinked at her. She had lost all track of time.

"I...ah...got stuck in the toilet cubicle. Yeah. The door wouldn't open."

"You should have called someone Marinette, we would have come and helped you." She turned her eyes to his soft emerald gaze. Her eyes and ears flooded with the memories of their night together. A night he doesn't even know existed. She knew she must have been staring, but he never averted his gaze either and she could see it, that same look in his eyes that he had when he declared his love for her, mingled with the guilt that he was betraying the other part of her. How could she not have seen it before?

"So ready to start dudes?" Nino asked, breaking the spell.

"Actually I was going to suggest maybe moving this to my place." Marinette smiled at them all before looking back at Adrien. "I'm sure my dad has plenty of leftover croissants."

"I'd love too." Adrien said softly before looking slightly panicking. "Eat croissants that is, with you at your place...and study, of course." He began to nervously rub the back of his neck. Only now did Marinette realise she'd seen Chat do the same thing.

"You two go on ahead." Alya suggested with a cheeky grin. "Nino and I have a book we need to find." She not so subtly elbowed Nino in the ribs for him to nod in agreement. Marinette tried to suppress a giggle.

"Alright, don't be too long." She said as she walked out of the doors with Adrien.

Walking towards the bakery, she listened as he talked on about a new anime series he had recently discovered. He seemed nervous, so she let him prattle on, her mind a million miles away, in a time that no longer existed. He looked at her with those shining emerald eyes, and she smiled softly at him, setting him at ease as they approached the bakery.

Soon my Kitty, she thought to herself. Soon we'll be together again. Soon your arms will be around me, holding me so tight, and your soft kisses will be on my lips, never again to be apart.


End file.
